Neighbours truck has been idling for hours

[Googer]

Originally posted by: chrisms

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: uberman
I knew these guys in Fairbanks, Alaska that used to run their VW Rabbit Diesel 24/7 in the winter.

Arent they worried someones goin to steal it or anything?? or do they lock it with a spare key, or is it out in the country where everyones trusted?

I have seen them use a spare key to open it. Second, driving a large truck takes a certain skill that not evrey one has (that alone keeps it safe), thrid any theif who tries to break in to something that large will stand out like a sore thumb and the brotherhood of truckers would come and beat his A** with ther oversized crowbars (tools).

It takes a special skill to drive a VW Rabbit?

No It doesn't take any special skill to drive a VW Rabbit. However it does take special skill to drive a big truck, fly a helicopter, drive a tank, fly spacecraft to the moon, and drive a 5,000 HP race car on a twisting road. Things like that are not likely to be stolen it can happen, but the probability is very low.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: uberman
I knew these guys in Fairbanks, Alaska that used to run their VW Rabbit Diesel 24/7 in the winter.

Arent they worried someones goin to steal it or anything?? or do they lock it with a spare key, or is it out in the country where everyones trusted?

I have seen them use a spare key to open it. Second, driving a large truck takes a certain skill that not evrey one has (that alone keeps it safe), thrid any theif who tries to break in to something that large will stand out like a sore thumb and the brotherhood of truckers would come and beat his A** with ther oversized crowbars (tools).

:laugh: That thing looks comical!!

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: uberman
I knew these guys in Fairbanks, Alaska that used to run their VW Rabbit Diesel 24/7 in the winter.

Arent they worried someones goin to steal it or anything?? or do they lock it with a spare key, or is it out in the country where everyones trusted?

I have seen them use a spare key to open it. Second, driving a large truck takes a certain skill that not evrey one has (that alone keeps it safe), thrid any theif who tries to break in to something that large will stand out like a sore thumb and the brotherhood of truckers would come and beat his A** with ther oversized crowbars (tools).

:laugh: That thing looks comical!!

That's not a wrench, this is a wrench! Mine is bigger than yours

 

[Eos]

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: compman25
My Volvo 770 uses 1 gallon an hour if it is at idle. The reason we leave them running is for the climate control, heat in winter, a/c in summer and for any appliances we have inside so we don't kill the batteries. My truck has a 12.7 liter engine. Also, in cold weather (below freezing) you won't get it to start if you leave it off overnight, too much drain on the batteries trying to crank that big engine.

I was about to say WHAT THE F, but then i saw it was a truck! still, 1 gallon an hour, 1 thing i've always wondered is what kind of MPG do trucks like that get? towing and not towing?.. Also, to all the people that leave their vehicles on over night... arent u worried about thiefs?? how do u work with that?

Semis range from 4 - 7.5 mpg loaded or empty.

 

[Eos]

Originally posted by: mobobuff
So how much gas would you say the average diesel engine uses while idling per minute? In a unit I can understand, like floz/m

Class 8 semis (500 hp - 1600 ft lb torque) use about .75 gallon per hour at a 900-1000 rpm idle. Auxillary power units are the wave of the future, although the high cost ($8k-$10k or so) make them still out of reach for a lot of truck owners. I'm not sure why the large companies don't do it.

Figure a long haul truck needs to idle 10 months out of the year (May and October are nice in most areas of the country, although I have been in a whiteout in early Octrober in Wyoming), and idles somewhere between 240 and 350 hours per month. That's about $6000-$9000 per year in fuel just to idle, An APU uses about 1 cup of diesel per hour. They pay for themselves very quickly.

 

[Eos]

Originally posted by: mobobuff

Originally posted by: leftyman

Originally posted by: mattocs
Possibly a diesel?

If it is -20F, then chances are it would not start in the morning (diesel fuel jells up when its cold).

A lot of people let them idle all night in the extreme cold. They are very good on fuel when just idling.

Ah, that's why all the truckers leave their engines running when sleeping at rest stops.

Well, and to keep warm while sleeping. Fuel gelling is a secondary concern. I parked in eastern Wyoming in mid April once and decided to not idle. Never again. I woke up shivering at 5 am and it was 20 degrees outside. Close to 45 or 50 inside. UNACCEPTABLE!

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: mattocs
Possibly a diesel?

If it is -20F, then chances are it would not start in the morning (diesel fuel jells up when its cold).

A lot of people let them idle all night in the extreme cold. They are very good on fuel when just idling.

True that. Buddy of mine in VT ran a couple of trucks for AAA in the winter, doing jumps and tows and whatnot. Always left them running nonstop except when he went home, and he had to plug in engine block warmers at night.

 

[Kalvin00]

My dad told me once that it isn't good to leave a normal diesel truck idling for an extended time---that semis and what not have something that has them idle higher, since at a normal idle it runs too cold?

Confirm/deny?

 

[Eos]

Originally posted by: Kalvin00
My dad told me once that it isn't good to leave a normal diesel truck idling for an extended time---that semis and what not have something that has them idle higher, since at a normal idle it runs too cold?

Confirm/deny?

Confirm.

Class 8 trucks are able to increase idle speed by using the accelerate option on the cruise control lever. One or two bumps and idle goes from 675 to 900 rpm. Oil pressure comes up and the coolant gets hot enough fopr all parts to operate properly.

Coldest I ever was in a truck was Super Bowl Sunday, 2003. I was in western WI and luckily got a parking spot close to the door of the truck stop. It was 5 degrees and like 30 mph winds. The truck was shaking all night. I went in to shower before I went to bed. When I came out, my hair was still wet. During the walk to the truck (20 seconds) my hair and beard froze at the tips. Scary.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: compman25
My Volvo 770 uses 1 gallon an hour if it is at idle. The reason we leave them running is for the climate control, heat in winter, a/c in summer and for any appliances we have inside so we don't kill the batteries. My truck has a 12.7 liter engine. Also, in cold weather (below freezing) you won't get it to start if you leave it off overnight, too much drain on the batteries trying to crank that big engine.

You should point out that the Volvo 770 is the truck with the 12.7 litre engine. Most people aren't familiar with Volvo's OTR truck line.

ZV

uh he did point out that the truck is a 12.7 liter engine.

He said the truck has the 12.7 liter engine. He did not specify that the Volvo 770 is the truck. Most Americans don't even realise that Volvo makes semis.

ZV

 

[compman25]

Ok, my Volvo is a TRUCK, does that help? j/k....I'm lucky to get 4mpg, granted I work the Northwest only and haul 105,000lbs! My engine is actually not that big, Detroit Diesel makes a bigger engine, 14 liters, and Cat makes a 15 liter, Cummins I think has a 14 liter engine too. When I leave it running I do up the idle to around 1000 rpm. Fuel gelling sucks, their is winter diesel and normal diesel. The company I work for are cheap bastards, here in Spokane it was -3 last night when I got back and tried to fuel up, it took forty minutes to put 57 gallons in my truck. The fuel is like jello at that temp and flows really slow.